Sandnes is a city on Norway's southwestern coast, effectively part of the wider Stavanger metropolitan area, and a rental car is a practical way to move between the two cities and out toward the fjords and coastal scenery that define this part of Rogaland county. Most visitors arrive via Stavanger Airport, Sola, a short drive of perhaps twenty to thirty minutes from Sandnes, with rental counters operating inside the terminal run by international and local companies, making pickup straightforward before heading into town or onward along the coast.
From Sandnes, routes fan out toward Stavanger itself, a short hop north, as well as south toward Jaeren's flatter agricultural coastline and its long sandy beaches, a genuinely different landscape from the mountains and fjords typically associated with Norway. Heading inland and east brings you toward Sandnesfjorden and the approach roads for classic Rogaland fjord scenery and hiking trailheads, including access points used for the well-known Preikestolen hike, reachable with a combination of road and a short ferry crossing depending on the exact route chosen.
Driving is on the right throughout Norway, and the region uses the AutoPASS electronic tolling system on many roads, bridges and tunnels around Stavanger and Sandnes, meaning there are no toll booths to stop at; charges are billed automatically by vehicle registration, and most rental agreements handle this through the rental company rather than requiring drivers to register separately. Winter in this part of Norway brings genuine snow and ice at higher elevations and colder months, and winter tires are legally required roughly from November through Easter, which rental fleets fit as standard during that window. Fuel stations are frequent around Sandnes and Stavanger but thin out on rural roads further from the coast, so it is worth topping up before longer fjord-area excursions out of the city.